Soul Gate
by Tempest Rose
Summary: With the winter war approaching, Soul Society gets a new ally from an unlikely source. Rating for future chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1, Bleach, or any of the characters contained therein. I do however own Jon's zanpakutou, the Kenbon sisters, and any other character you don't recognize from either fandom; so ask if you want to use them yourself. This idea just popped into my head and I've decided to run with it. I haven't seen much of the higher seasons of SG-1 so if the continuity is off you can bite me because I'm not killing Janet in this. That said, on with the fic!

Jon had no idea what was going on. One minute he was closing his fridge after putting the last of the groceries away and the next thing he knew he was in a field. This was no ordinary field however, as there was a very clear and yet invisible line of demarcation running across it as far as the eye could see to both his left and right. This line also happened to be dead even with the toes of his sneakers. As Jon looked around, he noticed that behind him was a meadow of flowers packed so close that he could see no grass, and every single flower had petals as black as the depths of deep space. Facing toward the other side of the line, he saw a never-ending grove of Cherry Blossom trees. He had seen them before, or Jack had seen them before at least, on one of his many visits to DC. Looking at the trees before him Jon spotted two figures coming his way; one wore old-fashioned samurai armor complete with the demonic mask, while the other had on black Japanese robes with a long white jacket that had no sleeves over the top. The two figures walked to the unseen divider and stopped about a foot in front of Jon, the man in black robes standing slightly in front of the armored figure.

"Ok, who are you two and what the hell is going on here? Why am I not in the kitchen of my apartment, which is where I'm supposed to be?" Jon was kind of proud of himself. Sure, he hadn't quite been able to contain the irritation in his voice but he had avoided yelling outright like he had originally wanted to. The man in front spoke then and even though Jon was sure the guy wasn't speaking in English that was exactly what his ears heard.

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya- by your customs I suppose it would be Byakuya Kuchiki- this is Senbonzakura, he is my zanpakutou. We are as confused as you are in regard to our current location. As best as I can tell, this place is a fusion of your inner world and mine. Though I am quite curious to know how it is that you have an inner world in the first place. It is highly unusual for a living soul to be born with the powers of a Shinigami, and for that soul to be a Gaijin is even more of an oddity."

"Ok now I know enough Japanese to understand that you just called me a foreigner, but what are Shinigami and zapakutous? And for that matter are you saying that this is just some manifestation of my mind? God that is the last time I eat three day old leftovers from that cheap Chinese takeout place. I coulda sworn the Mongolian Beef smelled just fine!" the indignation could not be any more obvious in Jon's voice if he'd had a neon sign flashing above his head proclaiming the sentiment for all and sundry to see. Glaring as menacingly as possible at the strange pair in front of him, Jon shifted his weight slightly and crossed his arms as he waited for an explanation from one of the apparitions. The strangers looked at each other before the armored man spoke up.

"A Shinigami is much like your culture's concept of a Grim Reaper. Shinigami help wandering souls to pass on to the Seireitei-basically your purgatory-but they also protect those souls from creatures called hollows. These are souls that lingered for so long amongst the living that they became monsters, driven to consume other souls as a means of survival. Every Shinigami has a zanpakutou for we are a part of their souls. Zanpakutou are the weapons that purify the hollows and we are also the mean by which good souls are given peace. We do still have Hell, though I have never seen the gates to it myself as I have never sent a soul there."

Jon scrubbed his hand across his face, why did the weird stuff always happen to him? First the devolving thing, then the nanites that aged him well beyond his years, not to mention Machello's invention and Teal'c trying to SHAVE HIS HEAD! But then none of that had happened to Jon that had all happened to Jack. Jon really hated his life, most days he felt like nothing in it was real. He wondered if this meant that Jack had these powers too, would he lose yet another chance to be his own person if that was the case. If he hadn't been so lost in his own thoughts Jon might have noticed the ominous storm clouds rolling in over his field of black flowers, not to mention the new addition to the meeting along the boundary.

From off in the distance to his right, an imposing figure stalked calmly toward the impromptu summit. This figure was a man who stood tall at six and a half feet, though his lean build seemed to cut through the air like the edge of a blade. He had long hair pulled back into a tail that streamed behind him, propelled by the winds of the coming storm. When Jon finally noticed him he saw that the man was dressed in what looked like black BDUs with a charcoal gray duster over the top. The new apparition wore a black fedora with a gray band around it that matched the coat he wore, and Jon could not have told you the color of the man's hair because it seemed to constantly be shifting through a spectrum of blacks and dark grays. When he stopped and spoke, Jon was again reminded of the vast and ominous darkness of space in the deep bass voice he heard.

"Could you please try to not have the identity crisis now? Every time you get like this I have to put up with the howling winds, and I have begun to detest even the lightest breeze because of it. This meeting is even more of an anomaly than a trip through the quantum mirror to another world where you exist would be. We both know you're more than smart enough to figure out just how unlikely that would be so try to control your angst for a while."

"Who the hell are you and where did you come from?" Jon stared at the black clad figure with incredulity etched all over his face as he turned to address the newcomer. Beside him, Byakuya raised an eyebrow in such a way that Teal'c would have glowered in envy while Senbonzakura remained silent and still.

"I am a part of you and this is my home, you are the one who could be considered the intruder here. I would tell you my name but I doubt highly that you would be able to hear it. You're far too weak for that." A condescending look of amusement sat firmly on his face.

"Oh I'm weak am I? Why not try telling me your name and we'll see who's right. Who knows I may just surprise you."

"Fine if you can hear it my name is ---- Hana."

"Wait, say that first part again. I caught Hana but not what came before that."

Lightless black eyes widened in surprise, he wasn't expecting the boy to hear any of his name. The fact that Jon heard half of it shocked the man, and when the amazement passed he smirked at the other two figures in the field.

"Well congrats kid, you managed to hear half of my name. Must be more too you than I thought. Now why don't you introduce yourself to our guests, the Doc would kill you for forgetting your manners like this."

Jon grimaced, the man was right. Janet would stick him with the biggest needle she could find if she caught him being so rude. With a shudder at the thought of angering the Napoleonic power-monger Jon sighed and stuck his hand out in greeting before introducing himself. "The name's Jon O'Neill, pleased to meet ya."

As Byakuya reached out and accepted the offer of a handshake, something happened that neither he nor Jon was prepared for. An almost painful spark shot up the arm of each man as two sets of eyes lost focus. Byakuya was overwhelmed by the images and emotions flooding his brain. He saw all of Jack O'Neill's life, from the moment he joined the Air Force, to the death of his son, the first mission to Abydos, meeting the Asguard, the torture he had endured at the hands of Ba'al, Daniel's death and ascension as well as his return, and then the memories shifted to a younger perspective as he saw the world through Jon's eyes and felt the immense sense of despair and abandonment the boy before him had felt since practically the moment he came into existence.

Jon was not experiencing anything less intense himself as the memories of the Shinigami in front of him poured into his mind. Jon saw Byakuya's childhood at the Kuchiki estate, learning the stances for proper zanjutsu, the mechanics of shunpo and games of tag with the were-cat of the Shihouin clan, attending the Shinigami academy and learning countless kido spells, loving and losing Hisana, adopting Rukia and practically bribing Captain Ukitake to keep her from having a numbered seat in his division. Jon felt his counterpart's turmoil over the subject of Rukia's execution less than a month prior, he felt unadulterated rage at the traitors for fooling everyone for so long, and that rage came with a powerful thirst for vengeance against the men who unlawfully orchestrated the entire charges and punishment scheme against a sister he loved dearly.

As the two men finally separated, each trying desperately to process what had just happened, Jon noticed that his clothes didn't feel quite right. The worn sneakers were now combat boots, his faded jeans and Air Force T-shirt gone and replaced by black robes identical to the ones that Byakuya wore. He wasn't quite sure how that had happened, but Jon figured it meant he was a full-fledged Shinigami now because of it. He was rather impressed by how comfortable the new outfit was. He had never really liked overly baggy pants, but these –hakama was the term his mind supplied- were great. Composing himself, Jon brought his focus back to the present. If he had all of Byakuya's memories then logically the captain of the sixth division had all of his.

"Ok so now that I've seen your life and I'm pretty sure you've seen mine, you do know that-"

"That I can't talk about what goes on inside Cheyenne Mountain. Officially I will deny any knowledge of it, but you know that I will have to inform the Head Commander about this event." Byakuya responded calmly.

"Yeah, I figured that much. If I can get myself to Karakura and talk to Mr. Urahara, do you think you could make arrangements for me to get to Soul Society to train? If I stay on Earth and train, the chances of me being discovered increase."

"I'll see what I can do. For obvious reasons you won't be training with my division, but perhaps Captain Hitsugaya would allow you to train in his." Byakuya pondered aloud. At the very least his third seat might be eager for a new training partner. He chuckled inwardly, who would have thought that three different third seated officers from three different divisions would enjoy training together so much.

"Yeah that could work. At the very least maybe third seat Mutsu would be happy to have another guy to train with. Not that there's anything wrong with the Kenbon sisters, I just think he might wanna even the playing field some." Jon grimaced; Carter would kill him for that comment if she ever found out; assuming, of course, that Megumi and Midori Kenbon didn't beat her to it. He knew he couldn't leave the country without telling anyone though, so phone calls to Daniel and Dr. Frasier were in order.

"So, Captain, how do we get out of here?" Jon asked, not even bothering to resist the urge for sarcasm and snark. He was determined to cause some sort of visible reaction in the man, even if only another eyebrow quirk.

Before Byakuya could answer Jon's question, the mysterious zanpakutou smirked. With a chuckle and the snap of his fingers, both Byakuya and Jon were expelled from the fused world and returned to their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

"Captain? Captain Kuchiki, are you alright? Do I need to call for a medic?" Byakuya took a moment to recognize the voice of his third seat, Megumi Kenbon. T took him another minute to realize that Renji had the day off, which was the reason that the young noblewoman was in his office in place of the red haired brawler.

"That will not be necessary, Megumi. If you have finished your share of paperwork for today you are free to go. I need to speak with the Head Commander about something. Please excuse me." With just the slightest nod of his head, only enough to be appropriately polite to a fellow noble, Byakuya took off toward the first division using the fastest shunpo he could muster. This was a matter of great importance, and for once he actually wished that Kurotsuchi were involved so that he could thank the man. Byakuya didn't have to look through Jon's memories to know what an asset he could turn out to be. And while he was loath to admit it out loud, Byakuya hoped the young man would follow Ichigo's example and gain his bankai as fast as possible. 'Besides,' he thought, 'at least Jon will know kidou.'

'For cryin' out loud, this couldn't have happened before I went to the store? Hopefully Cassie and Janet are in need of fresh groceries.' Jon thought to himself as he dug out a duffle bag and his passport. Thankfully the Doc treated him like an adult and trusted him, he would need her on his side to keep Jack and the team from coming after him. Jon looked at the clock on his stove before picking up the phone. It was only eleven so she should be at the base. Thanking his lucky stars for having her exact extension number on speed dial, Jon placed the call and waited. When Janet didn't pick up until the sixth ring, he realized she was either busy or getting back from a briefing.

"Doctor Frasier speaking."

"Hey Doc, it's Jon. Do you have a few minutes to talk? It's pretty important."

"Sure Jon, what do you need? Is everything ok?"

"Things are fine, interesting but fine. Listen, I need to do something that you and General Hammond probably won't be happy about. I have a chance to do something pretty big, something that will let me be my own person again. I'm on my computer booking a flight to Japan right now, but once I get there I'm not gonna be in a position to keep in touch. I know this sounds like a really bad idea, but I have to do this and I need you to trust me. Please Janet, I need you on my side with this."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Yes it is. And there is a chance that I could die. But I can't ignore this chance. I know I'm being cryptic and I do apologize for that, but there is nothing I can do or show you to explain this to you without sounding crazy."

"Alright Jon, I'll trust you. I don't want to but you haven't given me any reason why I shouldn't. Jack and the others aren't here right now so I'll talk to the General. But you have to promise me that you will at least leave Daniel a message. He worries about you."

"He's gonna be my next call. I know I'm asking a lot of you but could you do me one more favor?"

"I'll keep an eye on your apartment for when you come back Jon, don't worry. Should I have Cassie come and clean out your fridge?"

"Yes please. I had no idea that this opportunity would present itself so I went to the store this morning. There isn't much, but I'd hate for the milk and fruit to go bad. I'm gonna call Daniel on my way to the airport, so whenever she has a chance is fine."

"Alright I'll give her a call then and tell her to head on over. Be safe Jon."

"I will Doc, see you in a few months." Jon hung up the phone and booted his computer down. Picking up his duffle and shutting off all the lights and closing the windows, he took one last look at the sparse lodgings before heading to his truck. As Jon pulled out onto the road and headed toward Denver, he sent a silent thanks to the inventor of Bluetooth phones. Letting the call ring through to voicemail, he left a short but simple message.

"Hey Danny boy, it's Jon. I'm going on a trip and I'll be gone for several months at least. Don't try to call because you won't get a hold of me. Just be my friend and trust that I can take care of myself. I need to do this Daniel, I'll see you when I see you."

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Byakuya raised his hand to knock. Before he could even swing his fist down to connect with the wood, the massive door swung open to reveal Lieutenant Sasakibe. The distinguished looking man said nothing as he led Byakuya through the halls, pausing only long enough to let the younger man into the office of his captain. As the thick doors shut, Byakuya turned to face his superior.

"You wish to speak with me, Captain Kuchiki?"

"Yes sir, I have something very important to tell you. I have located a valuable new ally for us against Aizen."

"How?"

"I am unsure of the circumstances that caused us to meet, but I can describe our meeting itself. I feel I should apologize in advance, however, as I realize that I am not acting like myself."

"You seem to be quite distressed, Captain Kuchiki. Please start from the beginning."

"Very well sir. I was in my office doing paperwork and had just set my brush down to stretch a bit when I was pulled into my inner world. Senbonzakura was waiting for me but stated that he had not summoned me. I could feel that something was not right and so I began to investigate the feeling. Somehow, my inner world fused temporarily with the inner world of a shinketsu. Not just any shinketsu either, he's American."

"A foreign soul with our power? Incredible."

"I agree sir, but what is even more surprising is the fact that he was able to hear half of his zanpakutou's name. The truly strange occurrence was the reaction we both had when we shook hands. I saw all of his memories, and he mine. He is making his way to Karakura even as we speak. I would like permission for him to train here in Soul Society. We have a few months available to us, and he would be safer here."

"I concur, Captain Kuchiki. The question becomes what squad he will train with. For obvious reasons, the sixth division is out of the question." Byakuya felt he must have been going crazy, because he thought he could hear a hint of amusement in Yamamoto's voice.

"I have decided to ask Captain Hitsugaya and his third seat to train him. I know that third seat Mutsu trains with my third seat and her sister regularly. Perhaps he will be open to one more at their sessions."

"A sound plan, Captain. I will contact Kisuke and convince him to let our new ally use his gate. What is the lad's name?"

"Jon O'Neill, sir. He is the same age as Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya bowed to the Head Commander before he left, feeling oddly relieved. Straightening his shoulders, the noble made his way to the grounds of the tenth squad. It was time to have a word with two very powerful ice masters.

Jon was glad to be walking again. Between a twenty-hour flight from Denver to Tokyo, and then the two-hour train ride to Karakura, he was getting tired of automated transit. The air was cooling down with the approach of fall, and Jon was grateful for the breeze. As the shop he was looking for came into view, the feel of Ichigo Kurosaki's reiatsu became almost overwhelming. Smirking as he pushed open the door, Jon let himself into the back room to join the teen and the shopkeeper for tea. Dropping down into an open seat at the table, he gave his most charming O'Neill smile to the men openly gaping at his presence. Turning to his fellow teen, Jon stuck his hand out in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Jon. I'm here to get passage to Soul Society. You planning on training here, or are you gonna train here?"

"Um, nice to meet you I guess? I'm staying here to train. How do you know about me, let alone Soul Society?"

At this point, Urahara came out of his stupor and spoke up. "So you're the young man I'm supposed to open the Senkaimon for I take it? Can't see why, by your reiatsu I'm guessing you can barely even see a hollow."

"Well with all due respect sir, you are very wrong. I am suppressing my reiatsu as much as I can so as not to draw any attention from Aizen. I spent eighteen hours on a plane inside my inner world training zanjutsu and kidou. My zanpakutou told me he thinks I'm ready for shikai, but he won't let me get there until I go to Soul Society because it will make my reiatsu spike. I just need to find out if Captain Kuchiki knows who I'll be training with yet or not."

Yoruichi had been listening to the whole conversation so far from the hall. With a smirk she decided she would have to test the boy. Yamamoto had told both her and Kisuke how this American boy had gotten all of Byakuya's memories, and that had made her smile. Yoruichi had gotten nostalgic for the high tempered youth, and she couldn't help but wonder how this new child would react. Planning her attack on the teen, Yoruichi's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his voice saying her name.

"Yoruichi, I know you're out there. If you're thinking about launching a sneak attack on me, be prepared to get thrown across the room. I won't do it to be mean, but I can't always control my reflexes. I'm sure you understand what that's like."

With a smirk, Yoruichi strode into the room. Rukia had just shown up and followed the Shihouin princess in. Taking a seat opposite Jon, the raven-haired girl looked puzzled when the other woman knelt behind the new man and gave him a hug.

"So you're the one that little Byakuya found then? The Head Commander mentioned you, but I forgot your name." She was practically purring as she pressed her chest into Jon's back. To his credit, he didn't react at all.

"It's Jon O'Neill, two l's. If you're trying to get some sort of reaction out of me, you'll need to do a pole dance naked while on fire to get one. Sorry Hun, but perverted were-cats just don't do it for me."

Ichigo, Rukia, and Urahara all stared at Jon in shock. He was just calmly sipping the tea that had been given to him and acting like the conversation was completely normal. Even Yoruichi was stunned enough to let go of him. After all, no one had ever spoken to her that way before. In perfect silence, she stood and grabbed a small flask of sake from the kitchen before returning and pouring a cup for herself and another for Jon.

"Congrats kid, you actually managed to throw me for a loop. I think I'll go with you and talk to some of my old protégés about training you. Soi and Yuuki could only benefit from your influence." The Cheshire grin on her face disappeared only long enough for Yoruichi to down her drink in one gulp. At this point Rukia finally recovered enough to speak.

"How do you know my brother? From your accent I can tell that you're American, so how did you meet him?" The young woman was using every trick the Kuchiki clan had taught her to get Jon to crack.

"Well Rukia, yes I do know your name, you'll have to ask your brother that. I would tell you, but I have no idea whether or not anyone is eavesdropping on us. And I'm not talking about the two kids and the big guy who have their ears pressed to the door; I'm talking about Aizen and his flunkies. You can call me paranoid all you want, but it has saved my life more than once."

Ichigo had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the exchange. He felt strange around the other teen; his hollow was oddly calm and almost intimidated by this strange new ally. His ability to sense reiatsu might have been seriously hampered by his own overwhelming power, but Ichigo had a feeling that Jon was incredibly strong. Deciding that it would be a much better idea to make a new friend instead of a new rival, he pulled Rukia back down to her seat when she tried to get a less cryptic answer from the American youth. Something in Ichigo compelled him to ask a very hard question of the young man as they all headed to the very back of Urahara's shop, where the Senkaimon was.

"Hey Jon, does it bother you that I have a hollow in me?"

Jon turned to the orange haired boy and gave an answer that General Hammond would kill him for. "Ichigo, I'm the alien engineered clone of a US Air Force Colonel. By my standards, you're actually pretty normal." With a smile on his face, Jon stepped into the white light of the Senkaimon.

Byakuya couldn't help but to blink in surprise, when had Captain Hitsugaya hit a growth spurt? Sure, he was still sitting at his desk, but the white haired captain looked to be at least five foot nine now. Byakuya found himself wondering if his fellow captain had been that tall at their last meeting a week ago. Shaking that particular conundrum off, Byakuya cleared his throat to get his fellow captain's attention.

"What can I do for you today, Captain Kuchiki?"

"I'd like to ask a favor of you and your third seat. I have someone coming to Soul Society that I need you to train. Push him as hard as you can, he needs to hit bankai before the war starts."

"Alright, I'll bite. Who is he and why aren't you training him yourself?"

Byakuya turned to grab the chair sitting behind Rangiku's desk. Sinking down onto the furniture, he paused a moment before speaking. "Somehow my inner world fused with that of an American shinketsu. While in there, we shook hands and received copies of each other's memories. If I were to train him, how would I know what he was relearning for himself and what I simply expect him to know? He has all of my recollections for how to use kidou, but he needs practice. I'm hoping that if you agree to train him he will be a much more balanced warrior than Ichigo is."

"Alright, I'll train him. If for no other reason than to satisfy my own curiosity. So what do you need my third seat for?"

"Byakuya's face remained as impassive as always, but there was a spark of mischief in his gray eyes. "I had hoped that third seat Mutsu would be kind enough to take on a new training partner. This young man would even not only the population of Mutsu's secret training sessions, but also the gender dynamic."

Captain Hitsugaya smirked, "You make a fair point there, Captain Kuchiki. The question becomes whether or not you think Midori and her sister will agree? I could try to convince Midori, but I've heard quite a few tales of Megumi Kenbon's legendary stubborn streak." The smirk had turned to a grin, and Byakuya heard a chuckle in the younger man's throat.

"I wouldn't worry about my third seat if I were you. If he can't charm his way into letting her beat him up, I'll make it a personal favor from one noble to another. Now if you'll excuse me, he should be arriving soon. Have a good day Captain Hitsugaya." With a smirk of his own, Byakuya replaced the chair he had borrowed and headed off to where the Senkaimon would open.

Hurray! Chapter two is done. Chapter three is gonna take me a while, I've never written fight scenes or training scenes before so I am gonna try to keep it from sucking. For those who don't know shinketsu is the word for a mortal soul born with the powers of a Shinigami. Til next time everyone! Tempest Rose is out.


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